Gramsci e il circolo di Bachtin

There are many reasons for comparing Gramsci and the members of the so called Bachtin’s circle – i. e., Michail Bachtin, Valentin Vološinov and Pavel Medvedev. This study explores some of these reasons. Although very different thinkers, Gramsci and the Bachtin’s group shared a similar intellectual heritage and developed many close formulations about the relationship between language, ideology and hegemony. They adopted a similar key notion that a language embodies a worldview and emphasize that translation is not a question of transferring content from one language to another. This study also shows the importance of Gramsci and Bachtin’s relationship between science, reason and language. This relationship is conceived by them both as a process of translating different languages. The present work concludes with the identification of characteristics shared by the philosophers regarding their translation’s theory and the possibility of using translation for political agenda and political engagement

Territorialità, processi egemonici e subalternità nella concezione linguistica e traduttiva di Gramsci

The present study inquires into the importance of territorial issues in Gramscian thought from a geopolitical perspective and at the same time it examines the working out of Gramscis’s linguistic and translational conception. Focusing on Gramsci’s interpretation theorized by important exponents of cultural studies as Stuart Hall and by Said, the essay puts in evidence the historical and spatial-geographic characteristics of the linguistic and translational issue of the Sardinian thinker. Furthermore the article deals with the employment of Gramsci’s analythical categories in recent post-colonial and culturalist studies.The present study inquires into the importance of territorial issues in Gramscian thought from a geopolitical perspective and at the same time it examines the working out of Gramscis’s linguistic and translational conception. Focusing on Gramsci’s interpretation theorized by important exponents of cultural studies as Stuart Hall and by Said, the essay puts in evidence the historical and spatial-geographic characteristics of the linguistic and translational issue of the Sardinian thinker. Furthermore the article deals with the employment of Gramsci’s analythical categories in recent post-colonial and culturalist studies

Propuesta de un Plan de manejo participativo en la Microcuenca del Río Córdova, Parroquia de Chugá, Cantón Pimampiro, Provincia de Imbabura.

Proponer un Plan de Manejo Participativo para la Microcuenca del Río Córdova para aprovechar de manera sustentable sus recursos naturales.El presente trabajo de investigación elaboró una Propuesta de Plan de Manejo Participativo de la Microcuenca del río Córdova, Cantón Pimampiro, Provincia de Imbabura, para aprovechamiento de los Recursos Naturales, llevado a cabo en La Cordillera Occidental, para emprender actividades a favor de un manejo ordenado y sustentable de sus recursos naturales debido a la importancia de esta. El objetivo general es Proponer un Plan de Manejo Participativo para la Microcuenca del Río Córdova para aprovechar de manera sustentable sus recursos naturales, los objetivos específicos son: Elaborar cartografía temática a escala 1: 50.000 utilizando un Sistema Información Geográfica (S.I.G); Realizar la caracterización biofísica de la Microcuenca; Identificar y priorizar con la comunidad los problemas ambientales que se encuentren en la Microcuenca para brindar alternativas de manejo y conservación; Elaborar y socializar la Propuesta de Plan de Manejo Participativo

Dietary energy density in young children across Europe

OBJECTIVES: To describe energy density (ED; kcal g(-1)) of dietary intake of European children. METHODS: From 16 228 children who participated in the IDEFICS (Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS) baseline examination, 8551 children with 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR), with plausible reported energy intakes and complete covariate information were included in the present analysis. ED was calculated using two methods: (1) ED including solid foods (EDF) and (2) ED including solid foods and energy-containing beverages (EDF&B). Beverage energy was calculated in kcal per day. Dietary characteristics and body mass index (BMI) z-score of children aged 2 to 75th percentile. Standardised regression coefficients were estimated to assess the association between dietary characteristics, BMI z-score and ED of the diet. RESULTS: Children with low EDF and EDF&B diets consumed less energy but higher quantity of food and beverages than children with high EDF and EDF&B diets. Consumption of caloric beverages decreased with increasing EDF&B of the diet owing to the relatively low ED of the beverages, in relation to solid foods. Generally, children with low EDF and EDF&B diets showed healthier food choices than peers with higher EDF and EDF&B diets. In this sample, EDF and EDF&B were not associated with BMI z-score. CONCLUSION: Health promotion strategies should proclaim lower ED diets by means of foods with high water and low fat content and mainly fruit and vegetable components. Excluding caloric beverages from EDF calculation is a useful method to avoid misinterpretation of true exposure to a high energy dense diet. We recommend excluding caloric beverages from EDF calculation when investigating the effect of ED on a certain (health) outcome

Validity of self-reported lunch recalls in Swedish school children aged 6-8 years

Background: Previous studies have suggested that young children are inaccurate reporters of dietary intake. The purpose of this study was to validate a single recall of the previous day's school lunch reported by 6-8 year old Swedish children and to assess teacher-recorded intake of the same meal in a standardized food journal. An additional research question was whether parents could report their child's intake of the previous day's lunch. Subjects constituted a convenience sample from the large, multi-country study Identification and prevention of Dietary-and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS). Validations of both children's recalls and teachers' records were made by comparing results with the duplicate plate reference method. Findings: Twenty-five children (12 boys/13 girls) aged 6-8 years participated in the validation study at one school in western Sweden. Children were accurate self-reporters of their dietary intake at lunch, with no significant difference between reported and weighed intake (Mean difference (SD): 7(50) kcals, p=0.49). Teachers significantly over-reported intake (Mean difference (SD): 65(79) kcals, p=0.01). For both methods, child-reported and teacher-recorded, correlations with weighed intake were strong (Pearson's correlations r=0.92, p<0.001 and r=0.83, p<0.001 respectively). Bland-Altman plots showed strong agreement between child-reported and weighed intakes but confirmed systematic differences between teacher-records and weighed intakes. Foods were recalled by children with a food-match rate of 90%. In all cases parents themselves were unable to report on quantities consumed and only four of 25 children had parents with knowledge regarding food items consumed. Conclusions: Children 6-8 years of age accurately recalled their school lunch intake for one occasion while teachers recorded with less accuracy. Our findings suggest that children as young as six years of age may be better able to report on their dietary intake than previously suggested, at least for one main meal at school. Teacher-recorded intake provides a satisfactory estimate but with greater systematic deviation from the weighed intake. Parents were not able to report on their children's school lunches consumed on the previous day

Biomarkers of inflammation and breast cancer risk: A case-control study nested in the EPIC-Varese cohort

Abstract Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women. Adipokines, and other inflammation molecules linked to adiposity, are suspected to be involved in breast carcinogenesis, however prospective findings are inconclusive. In a prospective nested case-control study within the EPIC-Varese cohort, we used conditional logistic regression to estimate rate ratios (RRs) for BC, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), in relation to plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6, leptin, and adiponectin, controlling for BC risk factors. After a median 14.9 years, 351 BC cases were identified and matched to 351 controls. No marker was significantly associated with BC risk overall. Significant interactions between menopausal status and CRP, leptin, and adiponectin were found. Among postmenopausal women, high CRP was significantly associated with increased BC risk, and high adiponectin with significantly reduced risk. Among premenopausal women, high TNF-α was associated with significantly increased risk, and high leptin with reduced risk; interleukin-6 was associated with increased risk only in a continuous model. These findings constitute further evidence that inflammation plays a role in breast cancer. Interventions to lower CRP, TNF-α, and interleukin-6 and increase adiponectin levels may contribute to preventing BC

Exercise levels and preferences in cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

Background: Despite the benefits related to physical exercise, large numbers of cancer patients are not sufficiently active. Methods: To investigate exercise levels and preferences in cancer patients, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a random sample of 392 cancer outpatients who anonymously completed a questionnaire investigating general and medical characteristics, and expressed willingness to participate in exercise programs. Current exercise levels were estimated with the Leisure Score Index (LSI). Results: Most patients (93%) were insufficiently active but 80% declared an interest in exercise programs. Patients preferred oncologist-instructed programs and specified particular exercise needs. Multivariate logistic regression showed that willingness to exercise was associated with education (OR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.15-3.04 beyond age 14 years vs. up to 14 years) and current physical activity (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.92-3.63 for sweat-inducing activity &gt;2 times/week vs. &lt;1 time/week). Patients given chemotherapy were less inclined to exercise (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.23-0.86) than those who did not. LSI was lower if cancer stage was advanced (β: -0.36; 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.02) than if it was in remission. High LSI was also associated with longer education, lower BMI, and longer time after diagnosis. Conclusion: Cancer patients are insufficiently active but are willing to participate in personalized exercise programs. Information from this survey may help in designing personalized interventions so these patients will achieve sufficient exercise